This invention relates to providing an improved system for displaying and marketing merchandise, including more efficient use of space and better inventory control. More particularly, this invention concerns a highly adaptable retail display system that efficiently uses normally unused space within a store to display and sell merchandise. The field of product display and marketing has increasingly become a more exact science involving extensive research into the shopping and purchasing behaviors of consumers. As a result, retailers have become increasingly sophisticated in their application of product-display systems.
Typically, a retail space will include a diverse range of product-display fixtures. Arrangement of such fixtures often follows a set of tactics for ensuring that a maximum number of shoppers will see and actively consider purchasing a displayed product. It is well-known that specific prime locations within a retail floor space are highly desirable for generation of sales. Similarly, prime locations within, and on, display-fixtures are known to produce higher sales volume. A principal need of many retailers is to maximize the quantity of products displayed within a given floor area, and more specifically, to maximize the display of products with the highest sales volumes, cash values and profit margins within the prime store locations. In addition, distributors often pay additional bonuses or rewards to stores that choose to assign a highly desired space to display their particular product line. For these and other reasons, it is economically important to most retailers to utilize the maximum amount of available product display space within a store.
Furthermore, many product vendors require flexibility in displaying their product and controlling their inventory within the product display system. Currently, a large number of retailers rely on cumbersome, industry standard, retail display systems that allow only limited flexibility in arrangement, ease of modification and product-specific display. Many retailers utilize the theory that the best solution for some product lines is to create relatively static, permanent displays; however, not all products merit such long-term placement. Many products are not always in large demand or are seasonal. For example, promotional products tied to a seasonal holiday or new movie release may have a relatively short (yet highly lucrative) promotional window. It is highly desirable that product placement systems that are easy to modify and provide a high degree of adaptability (quickly adaptable to new marketing strategies and inventory management solutions) would be extremely desirable for use in the retail industry.
Currently, many retailers use a variety of add-on merchandising displays in conjunction with existing conventional shelving construction to increase product display densities. These methods include utilizing vertically hanging strip-displays that have a vertical row of hooks or clips for holding packages of merchandise. While this type of typical strip-type-merchandising-system is effective for the display of certain products, they suffer from distinct shortcomings. For example, strip-type merchandising systems are typically made of flimsy construction that may be easily dislodged or removed from its supports. Further, such strip-type merchandising systems are limited in their adaptability to a diverse range of packaging, product lines, display quantities and shelving types. Further, most strip-type merchandising systems provide limited opportunities for supplementary advertising and product branding (the display of a specific or well-established brand name of merchandise). As previously mentioned, such strip-type merchandising systems are typically not securely affixed to store fixtures and may even be stolen or removed easily by unauthorized persons.
Merchandisers, marketers, and advertisers are increasingly seeking to attract buyers by rapidly revising product packaging, as well as marketing strategies. These revisions require the retailer to find flexibility and adaptability within their own product display systems.